Optional Tool Suite Modules

The TBmisra module automates source code checking for compliance to MISRA guidelines during unit test, system test, and integration testing to ensure compliance throughout the software development life cycle. This module expedites your team’s path to higher quality software.

The TBsafe module incorporates an additional set of high-integrity analysis tools to help rigorously test code to exacting standards such as those required for DO-187B/C, Def Stan 00-55 and IEC 61508. TBsafe is particularly suited to gaining certification from outside bodies and regulatory authorities.

The TBobjectBox module is used for high-integrity environments such as DO178B/C Level A. TBobjectBox provides object code verification (OCV) capability, as described in DO-178B/C, and is the only direct way to relate code coverage at the source code level with that achieved at the object code level. The tool also provides the mechanism to extend the code coverage at the assembler level where necessary.

TBaudit offers development and test managers an automatically generated, user-configurable Microsoft Word report which contains the results of the review and testing activities carried out by the development, QA and testing teams using the LDRA tool suite. TBpublish is a prerequisite for TBaudit.

The Dynamic Dataflow Coverage feature of the LDRA tool suite was specifically designed to address a requirement of avionics-related standards such as DO-178C and DO-248C which define data coupling to be “The dependence of a software component on data not exclusively under the control of that software component” and require that “Test coverage of software structure, both data and control coupling, is achieved.” As with control coupling analysis, any dataflow measurements must be derived from the execution of requirements based tests.

The example below is taken from related standard DO-248C. The expected behaviour of this code is to first calculate the airspeed and then display it, in that order.

This report was generated from executing the test case above.

It shows dynamic data flow information revealing that airspeed was in fact not written to on line 36 and wasn’t updated before it was displayed, potentially displaying inaccurate information.

In general, the observed data flow provides the information required to reconcile the data interaction, requirements and architecture, and the behaviour of the application.

Data coupling analysis is focused on the observation and analysis of data elements (such as airspeed) as they are set and used (“set/use pairs”) across software component boundaries. Manually performing these exercises with debuggers is labour intensive, difficult to repeat, and error prone. Automating the activity dramatically reduces that overhead.

The TBvision plug-in, TBevolve, enables project teams to monitor the impact of code changes on their testing process. As the source code changes TBevolve will compare a baseline copy of a system with new versions and will highlight changed source code lines and report on untested source code which affects the overall code coverage analysis.

The Target Licence Package (TLP) provides the right to use and to receive support for the LDRA tool suite when it is used for target testing. A key capability for the LDRA tool suite is its ability to support the widest range of target platforms, from 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers all the way up through the latest 64-bit architectures enabled with real-time operating systems. Getting data off of the target for analysis purposes is critical, and LDRA has unique key enabling technologies to provide this level of target insight. The TLP lets you receive assistance from LDRA in configuring the LDRA tool suite to interface with a specified embedded tool chain.

Each TLP also includes all benefits for the target and tool chain combination associated with the equivalent Tool Chain Configuration (TCC) , covering all users of a licensed network in regard to the specific combination of tools needed to perform static analysis.

The Tool Chain Configuration (TCC) provides the right to receive additional support for the LDRA tools for Static Analysis. A single TCC covers all users of a licensed network in regard to the specific combination of tools needed to perform static analysis on code written for a
specific target and tool chain combination.

The sizing of data types (how big is an int?) varies from one CPU to another and in some cases can be different if the CPU is operated in different modes. If these sizes are not correctly set then both false positives and false negatives could occur.

The TCC further permits the parsing of tool chain project files to facilitate the seamless loading of source file sets for analysis, the identification of header files included by those source files, and the application of pertinent compiler settings. This helps to ensure that
the configuration applied to the analysis is the same as that applied to the build.

When you are using the verification evidence produced by such as the LDRA tools to satisfy DO-178B or DO-178C requirements, it is essential to show that they work correctly within the context of the project’s development environment. More specifically, the standards demand that a verification (test) tool is “qualified” when it is used to eliminate, reduce, or automate test processes. The LDRA Tool Qualification Support Pack (TQSP) supports the process of qualifying the LDRA tool suite for use as a verification tool in your project environment. LDRA provides Tool Qualification Support Packs for its Programming Standards Checking, Structural Coverage Analysis, Data and Control Coupling and Unit Test analysis facilities.